You remember the late 90s, right? Frosting your tips, oversized cargo pants, and a new boy band popping up every single Tuesday. Most people talk about *NSYNC or the Backstreet Boys. Some mention 98 Degrees if they're feeling nostalgic. But then there’s Take 5.
They were supposed to be the next big thing. Huge.
Managed by the infamous Lou Pearlman—the man who basically printed money using teenage harmonies—Take 5 had the look, the sound, and the backing. Yet, they ended up as a footnote in pop history. Why? It wasn’t a lack of talent. Honestly, if you look at the Take 5 band members, they were probably more "prepared" for stardom than almost any other group in Pearlman’s stable.
Let's get into who these guys actually were and where they vanished to after the bubble burst.
The Lineup: Not Just Random Pretty Faces
Usually, Lou Pearlman found kids who could kinda sing and coached them into stars. Take 5 was different. These five guys were already seasoned pros by the time they hit Orlando in 1997.
The group was made up of Ryan Goodell, Jeff "Clay" Goodell, Tilky Jones, Stevie Sculthorpe, and Tim "TJ" Christofore.
They weren't just some local kids.
TJ Christofore? He had already won Star Search in 1995. He’d played Gavroche in Les Misérables on Broadway. That’s a heavy resume for a thirteen-year-old.
🔗 Read more: Love Island UK Who Is Still Together: The Reality of Romance After the Villa
The Goodell brothers, Ryan and Clay, were classically trained pianists. They’d done the theater circuit and commercials. Stevie Sculthorpe was a model and theater vet. Tilky Jones was the "rebel" of the group—a drummer for a ska-punk band called User Friendly.
Imagine putting a Broadway star, a punk drummer, and two classical pianists in a house together and telling them to dance to bubblegum pop. It’s a wild mix.
Life Inside the "Boy Band House"
The schedule was brutal.
6:00 AM rehearsals.
Vocals in the morning.
Choreography all afternoon.
Tutors squeezed in whenever there was a spare thirty minutes.
Ryan Goodell once described it as "slaving" rather than working. They lived in a house provided by Pearlman, which sounds cool until you realize you're under constant surveillance and pressure. They spent two years touring Europe and Asia before even trying to break the American market.
They released two albums:
- Take 5 (1998)
- Against All Odds (2000)
But by the time Against All Odds hit the shelves in the U.S., the market was oversaturated. People were getting boy band fatigue. Plus, the legal walls were starting to close in on Pearlman.
💡 You might also like: Gwendoline Butler Dead in a Row: Why This 1957 Mystery Still Packs a Punch
The Breakup and the Dark Side of the Industry
Stevie Sculthorpe left first in 2001. He wanted a solo career.
The band didn't last much longer after that.
But the split wasn't just about "creative differences." There was a lot of behind-the-scenes drama that eventually came to light. The Goodell family ended up filing complaints against Pearlman. They alleged he exploited minors and violated labor statutes.
Worst of all were the allegations from TJ Christofore. Like several other members of Pearlman’s groups, TJ eventually came forward with claims that Pearlman had made unwanted sexual advances. It’s a dark shadow over what was supposed to be a dream career.
When the band dissolved, they didn't just disappear. They pivoted.
Where Are the Take 5 Band Members Now?
Most boy band members try to stay in the spotlight forever. Some of these guys did the opposite.
Ryan Goodell
He took the most "adult" route possible. He went back to school, graduated from UCLA, and then went to Loyola Law School. He’s now an entertainment lawyer. Basically, he’s on the other side of the contracts now. He’s also married to Nikki DeLoach (another former Pearlman artist from the girl group Innosense).
📖 Related: Why ASAP Rocky F kin Problems Still Runs the Club Over a Decade Later
Tilky Jones
Tilky actually found a second life in acting. If you’ve watched Pretty Little Liars, One Tree Hill, or Nashville, you’ve probably seen him. He’s been in films like The Guardian and Never Back Down. He never really left the industry; he just changed lanes.
TJ Christofore
TJ went back to Minnesota for a bit but eventually returned to Orlando. He’s stayed in the music scene, fronting local bands like The Boomers and Hyper. He’s a guy who clearly just loves to perform, whether it’s on Broadway or in a Florida club.
Jeff "Clay" Goodell
Like his brother, Clay went the academic route but stayed creative. He graduated from USC with a degree in film and television production. He’s worked in the art departments for major shows like Big Brother and even worked on the Grammy Awards production.
Stevie Sculthorpe
Stevie initially tried the solo route under the name SJ Rose and did a brief duo project with Tilky called Stevie dot Tilky. He’s kept a lower profile compared to the others in recent years.
Why Take 5 Matters Today
It's easy to dismiss them as a "failed" band. But they represent the peak and the precipice of the boy band era. They were more talented than many of the groups that actually made it, which tells you a lot about the music business. It’s not always about the voice; it’s about timing and the person holding the purse strings.
Their story is a cautionary tale about the "Trans Continental" machine.
Actionable Takeaway for Pop Historians
If you’re digging into the history of 90s pop, don’t just stick to the hits.
- Listen to the vocals: Check out "I Give" or "Never Only For The Night." The harmonies are objectively tighter than many of their contemporaries.
- Watch the documentaries: If you want to understand the environment the Take 5 band members were living in, watch Dirty Pop: The Boy Band Scam on Netflix. It provides the context of the legal and personal battles these guys faced.
- Follow the career pivots: Use their stories as a map of how to survive child stardom. Ryan Goodell’s transition to law is arguably one of the most successful "exit strategies" in boy band history.
The era of the manufactured mega-group is mostly over, but the lessons these five guys learned in that Orlando house still resonate in the industry today.